The trial is expected to last until at least March 25, with 22-23 days of testimony. Not short days either; Judge Aaron Persky runs a tight ship, from about 8.30 am until at least 4.45. Over and over during voir dire, jurors were essentially asked if they could stomach what are expected to be graphic descriptions of sexual activity sprinkled with plenty of curse words.

The majestic courtroom, in the Old Courthouse opposite St. James Park in downtown San Jose, makes for an incongruous setting for such raw testimony. But The Neo-Classical building with stately columns, high ceilings and ornate molding painted celadon and gold has seen worse no doubt; it opened in 1868 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Teenager getting her day in court

Nearly four years after a teenager alleged that a group of De Anza College baseball players gang-raped her at a party, the young woman is getting her day in court. In a highly anticipated civil trial now underway in San Jose, the woman is seeking monetary damages against eight people, including seven former players. Follow reporter Tracey Kaplan’s live blog from the courtroom.

11:34 a.m.: Ethnically diverse jury finally chosen

It wasn’t easy, but the lawyers in the De Anza civil trial have finally picked a jury of seven women and five men. The process took more than a week, with hundreds of jurors filling out a 30-page questionnaire delving into normally personal matters, including whether they had ever been sexually assaulted.

The jury is ethnically diverse (two African-American women, one Latino man, one Asian man and two Asian woman.) It also includes a Cisco programs manager, MIT-educated scientist, a recruiter for a bio-med firm and a quality-control manager, all detail-oriented folks who promised to wait until the eight defendants get a chance to put on their case before making up their minds.

The plaintiff gets to present her case first.

In civil litigation, the plaintiff wins if the preponderance of the evidence favors them. The verdict doesn’t have to be unanimous, but at least nine of the 12 jurors must agree.

12:30 p.m.: Open statements could start at 1 p.m.

Opening statements in the DeAnza rape case civil trial could begin as early as 1 p.m. at the Old Courthouse on First Street in San Jose. The plaintiff, who was a teenager at the time of the alleged rape, will go first, for about 1.5 hours. Defendant Christopher Knopf will follow.

Judge Aaron Persky ruled before lunch that Knopf can show the jury seven photos of the woman, whom the court is calling Jane Doe, partying about a year or so after the alleged gang rape. In the photos, she is scantily clad, wearing a garter belt and what appear to be fishnet stockings.

In one picture, a boy appears to be straddling her as she lies on a bed in what looks like a dorm room. Everyone in the photos is smiling and playing around, enjoying themselves. Knopf’s lawyer says the photos are a “direct contradiction” of plaintiff’s claim that she is socially isolated and socially reticent.

12:50 p.m.: Judge rules jurors can submit written questions

Judge Aaron Persky has ruled that the DeAnza rape case jury may submit written questions of the witnesses, despite qualms expressed by the defense lawyers. He said he did so essentially to keep the jurors interested in what could be a four- to six-week trial. Left unresolved at this point is how the judge plans to handle a very sticky matter that could arise if jurors ask any questions of the four defendants who have invoked their Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions about the March 3, 2007, party where the teenager was allegedly assaulted.

The judge already has ruled that plaintiff cannot ask them anything about the party, which would force them to say they take the Fifth. The judge has blocked that line of questioning to avoid prejudice by jurors, who tend to find the Fifth suspect.

But plaintiff argues the judge has to divulge the invocation to the jury at some point lest jurors think plaintiff is avoiding the issue of that night for some reason.

Also, If jurors aren’t warned, they might very well step in the breech and ask each of the four young men those questions. Of course, just because jurors submit questions doesn’t mean the judge has to allow them to be posed to witnesses.

Tracey Kaplan is a reporter for the Bay Area News Group based at The Mercury News. A former courts reporter, she is now reporting primarily on consumer issues, and welcomes any tips/suggestions, especially on how to make ends meet in the Bay Area. Watch for a series this summer on her personal solution to the housing crisis -- spending her nest egg on turning a cargo van into what will eventually be her full-time home. For more info, see @itsavanlife on Instagram and our Facebook group, Full House: Inside the Bay Area housing shortage.

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